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Opinion

Vote yes on Amendment 47

By Mark Latimer

Posted:
08/13/2008 12:30:00 AM MDT

The construction industry plays an integral role in the development of Colorado and has laid a strong foundation for our state's economy.

As a major component of Colorado's economy, our members take that responsibility seriously. It's with the intention of keeping our economy prosperous that we support Amendment 47- the Right to Work Amendment.

Anyone who is concerned for the economic well-being of Colorado should vote YES on Amendment 47, a vote that will help the future of Colorado and protect the rights of workers.

Independent Colorado contractors support Amendment 47 for many different reasons. When I spoke with our member companies and their employees, who number in the thousands, here's a sampling of what I heard:

We take good care of our employees, and they're very happy working here. We need to protect our workers from big labor relentlessly coming after them with paid union organizers from outside our ranks.

It's crucial in these tough economic times that workers are protected from being forced to pay union dues through compulsory union membership.

Why would anybody oppose protecting workers" rights? It is imperative that workers" rights are protected by a constitutional amendment given the politically fueled favoritism towards unions currently being exhibited.

The highlights of Amendment 47 are simple, yet vastly important to the future of our state and its continued economic growth.

Amendment 47 will give every worker in Colorado the freedom to choose whether or not to join a union or pay dues as a condition of employment.

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It will constitutionally guarantee this fundamental freedom while preserving a worker's right to join a union, strike and engage in collective bargaining.

Right to work is not anti-union. It's anti-forced union.

Colorado is nearly surrounded by right-to-work states. Passage of Amendment 47 will help to make this state more economically competitive at a time when more jobs and better economic health are in high demand.

Right-to-work states enjoy better job growth and an increase in economic development.

A recent memo written by the president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7, originally obtained by The Denver Post, gives a clear reason why Colorado needs Amendment 47. By the union's own admission, more than half of its members would leave the union if given the freedom to do so.

Currently, thousands of Colorado workers unwillingly give up part of their paychecks just so they can keep their job - a fact that comes from the UFCW president personally.

That money goes into a pool of millions of dollars that is used for purposes not related to helping their employees, such as political donations to candidates and causes that an employee may or may not support. This is fundamentally unfair.

The Associated Builders and Contractors, along with the statewide chamber of commerce and many other groups and thousands of individuals, supports Amendment 47 for all the reasons stated above. But we do have a fight ahead.

Naturally, as they've already admitted, the unions fear losing the power to force workers to pay dues. Instead, the unions will have to improve their services in order to earn their membership, and they don't want that.

Powerful out-of-state union interests will spend millions of dollars to try and mislead voters on Amendment 47. I am confident, however, that voters will see through this. If you research the language of the amendment and what it will actually do, you will find that Amendment 47 is worthy of support - no spin necessary.

We are fighting for a right that all Colorado workers deserve. And Colorado's economy and workforce will benefit from its passage.

Please join us and thousands of other Coloradans who have already committed to supporting and passing this important measure. Together, we can move Colorado forward by passing Amendment 47 in November.

Mark Latimer is president and CEO of the Associated Builders and Contractors Rocky Mountain Chapter.

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